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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22485127">A good decision.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Young_Professer/pseuds/Young_Professer'>Young_Professer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Master &amp; Padawan Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:08:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>758</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22485127</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Young_Professer/pseuds/Young_Professer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Mace Windu takes on Depa Billaba as his padawan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Depa Billaba &amp; Mace Windu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Mace Windu Fandom Safe Space</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A good decision.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm a sucker for Mace and Depa so please excuse me.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Early afternoon at the Jedi Temple. All was calm, though the force hummed with the exuberant energy of the initiate trials. In a small alcove just outside the initiate quarters stood Mace Windu, a small initiate in front of him.</p><p>He looked down at this girl, this child he had met as an infant and watched grow from afar. The force prodded him in the same way it had been doing this entire month, but this time, he was ready to obey. <br/>
</p><p>Said girl was looking up at him with nervous curiosity, and Mace realized that he had just been staring at her wordlessly. He cleared his throat and dropped to one knee to be closer to her eye level. <br/>
</p><p>"I've been watching you for a while now." He started. "And I see great potential in you, Initiate Billaba."<br/>
</p><p>Depa flushed, ducking her head. "Thank you, Master Windu." She said in the same quietly solemn way that she spoke to her teachers. <br/>
</p><p>"That being said, you still have much to learn if you want to be able to become a Jedi Knight."<br/>
She nodded earnestly, eyes flickering from the floor to his face, as if she was uncomfortable to be the one looking down at him as he knelt in front of her. <br/>
</p><p>"Look at me." Mace commanded softly, and her gaze snapped to meet his. For the first time in years he looked fully in her eyes, and in them he saw the pure, shining light that force had been showing him in his visions. <br/>
</p><p>"Is that what you want?" He asked. "To become a Knight of the Order?"<br/>
</p><p>Her shoulders twitched as she clenched her hands behind her back, but she answered steadily. </p><p>"Yes, Master."<br/>
</p><p>"And are you willing to work harder than you ever have before, to experience unknown amounts of pain and adversity, to achieve that goal?"<br/>
</p><p>"Yes, Master." Her response was immediate, but Mace waited to speak again, watching her take in the words. Her eyes went distant as she thought, but after a moment she straightened, jutting her chin in determination. <br/>
</p><p>"Yes, Master." Depa repeated, and this time he knew that she meant it with her whole heart. <br/>
</p><p>Mace took a breath, for some reason feeling more nervous than he had in years, even more than his own knighting ceremony. <br/>
</p><p>"Then, Initiate Depa Billaba, it would be my honor to offer you a place as my Padawan."<br/>
Her eyes lit up, an excited inhale escaping her lips <br/>
</p><p>"The- The honor would be mine." She said, tripping over the words trying to hold back her exuberance. <br/>
</p><p>The force burned with rightness, and Mace felt a smile tug his own cheeks as he stood.<br/>
</p><p>"Then it shall be done." He finished, unable to stop himself from putting a hand on her shoulder as she practically vibrated with happiness. "I've already spoken with Master Genta. We will wait until tomorrow, the end of the initiate trials, to move forward with the bonding."<br/>
</p><p>"Yes, Master." Depa nodded twice in rapid succession. "Thank you."<br/>
</p><p>"It is my privilege, Depa." He repeated, her name slipping off his tongue as easily as petals float in water. "I look forward to teaching you."<br/>
She bowed low. "I will do my best to honor your instruction, Master."<br/>
</p><p>The word "Master" had a different weight to it when she said it now, and it warmed Mace's chest. <br/>
</p><p>"You most certainly will." He encouraged. "But right now I believe you have a tournament to prepare for." <br/>
</p><p>"Oh! Yes, I do." The girl shifted her weight from her heels to her toes, as if she wanted to say more but didn't know if it would be acceptable to. Mace waited to see if she did, but she didn't. He saw the question in her eyes, though, and decided that to answer it would be starting off on the right foot in the way of communication. <br/>
</p><p>"I will be watching, both today and tomorrow. Do your best." He nodded in both well-wishing and dismissal. Depa bowed again. <br/>
</p><p>"I will, Master." <br/>
</p><p>She made a swift exit to the initiate dorms, leaving Mace standing in the training room smiling at nothing. She had accepted him as her master. He had a Padawan. He had Depa as his Padawan. <br/>
</p><p>It felt good, he decided, to know that he would be able to pass all he knew to her. <br/>
</p><p>The thought had barely passed through his mind before the force showed Mace another radiant truth. Taking Depa Billaba as his Padawan would be the best decision of his life.<br/>
</p>
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